Phoenix Mercury Is 2-7, But Nate Tibbetts' 36-Word Quote Will Shock You

WOOF. The Phoenix Mercury are in a rough spot, folks, and I'm talking straight-up dire straits. Another game, another L, this time a 75-68 punch to the gut against the New York Liberty. You'd think after dropping seven games already, the vibe in that locker room would be just... bleak, right? But apparently, nobody told Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts because this man is staying POSITIVE, even as his team is stuck at the bottom of the table. I'm telling you, what he said at halftime? It's gonna make you do a double-take.

Another One Bites the Dust for Phoenix

Seriously, how do you keep your head up with a 2-7 record? That's two wins, SEVEN losses. It's rough out there for the Mercury. Against the Liberty, it was a tough matchup, especially with Marine Johannes out there doing her thing. Phoenix couldn't quite get over the hump, even with Kahleah Copper putting up a respectable 16 points in 37 minutes. Alyssa Thomas added 15 points on 5-for-14 shooting, plus eight assists, and Monique Akoa Makani chipped in with 13 points. Decent individual efforts, sure, but it wasn't enough to stop the Liberty, who still looked bright even being shorthanded without Sabrina Ionescu at full fitness. Another WNBA loss just stacked up for Phoenix, adding to that growing pile.

Coach Tibbetts' Wild Optimism

But here’s the kicker, the real head-scratcher: Coach Tibbetts is still preaching belief. During halftime, with his team struggling, he delivered a message that you just don't hear often from a coach whose team is clinging to only two wins. He told his squad, and I'm quoting here, "Stay with it. I believe in the group, and we’re gonna keep fighting that. I believe that we’re gonna be where we need to be when the playoffs roll around, but we’re not there right now." Talk about a positive outlook in the face of absolute gloom! He's telling them to keep fighting, and he believes they'll turn it around. The playoffs are on his mind, even with seven losses already. Can you even imagine the pressure on Copper and the rest of the crew to actually *pull up their socks* and make that happen? It's a huge ask, but the coach is betting on them. So yeah, the Mercury are in a deep hole, bottom of the table, looking up at everyone else. Tibbetts sees some "rays of light" with those individual performances, but the massive question mark hanging over Phoenix is whether he can actually channel those rays to get them where they need to be. Can this positive mindset actually spark a comeback? Or are things just gonna keep spiraling downhill? The WNBA season is still early, but 2 wins and 7 losses? That's a mountain to climb, even with a coach who believes that much. Every single game from here on out is gonna be a fight, and everyone's watching to see if Tibbetts' faith can actually move this mountain. Get ready, Emerald City, because this WNBA drama is just getting started!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.